Insist on objective criteria
Anchor the deal to independent standards — market rates, precedent, expert opinion — not willpower.
Why it works
When agreement rests on whose will is stronger, both sides dig in and the relationship pays. Grounding terms in a fair external standard converts a contest of stubbornness into a joint search for the right answer, and gives both parties a face-saving reason to move.
How to do it
- Before negotiating, gather legitimate standards: market data, precedents, professional norms.
- Frame your proposal as an application of a fair standard, and ask which standard they’d accept.
- Yield to principle and reason, never to pressure.
Evidence
A central Harvard-method principle. Anchoring agreement to shared external standards is consistent with fairness and procedural-justice research, but the principle is framework guidance. (mechanistic)
Effectiveness depends on a standard both sides see as legitimate; where none exists, this lever weakens.
Common mistake
Letting it become a willpower contest, where the more stubborn party "wins" the number but loses goodwill and future deals.
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More practices for Getting to Yes: Principled Negotiation
- Focus on interests, not positions
Dig beneath what each side demands to why they want it — the interest, not the stance.
- Separate the people from the problem
Be hard on the problem, soft on the people — attack the issue, not each other.
- Invent options for mutual gain
Brainstorm multiple possible deals before deciding, expanding the pie before splitting it.
- Know your BATNA
Your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement is the source of your real leverage.
- Negotiation jujitsu
When they attack your position, don’t push back — redirect the force toward the problem.